Friday, December 23, 2016

Last week I had a meltdown. It did not take the form of
tears, irritability, or burning pots of

vegetables (as I am wont to do when I
am upset and distracted). Instead, a horrible doomsday scenario popped into my
mind and I could not talk myself out of it. Normally I’m not given to imagining
worst-case no-hope futures. I try to keep in mind that no matter how distraught
I am at any given moment, whatever is bothering me will not last forever. (This
goes for good times, too. All life is impermanent.) This time, however, the
dreadful sequence had taken hold and would not be dislodged.

So I did what I have been advised to do about other
problems. I put my nightmare out there and asked folks what they thought. I
often joke that we muddle along because we’re not all crazy on the same day. I
figured that even though my brains had taken a sharp turn to crazyland, there
were some saner people out there. Some agreed with me, others had their own
dire forebodings, and still more had confidence that wiser heads would prevail.

After I’d calmed down, I had a serious moment of “What got
into me?” I admit that I was a little embarrassed at losing it, especially in
such a public way. I tried to make light of the situation by joking that aliens
had eaten my brains (one of my stock explanations for moments of temporary
insanity).

Then I remembered to be kind to myself. No harm had been
done, after all, except to the illusion that I am always calm and rational.
That’s a good illusion to shatter now and again for fear of being insufferable.
Through painful experience, I’ve learned the importance of getting friendly
with things that upset or frighten me. What if my lapse were doing me a favor
and what might it teach me?

Once I got some distance from the moment of panic, I
realized that I’d been expecting myself to progress in a straight, continuous
manner. No backsliding or side tracks. No relapses. Recovery sometimes works
like that, but more often it’s full of slips and detours, three steps sideways
to every step forward. Just as when an alcoholic or addict “hits bottom” before
they are ready to make substantial changes in their attitudes and lives, going
“off the deep end” was a wake-up call for me. I saw then that I had been
stressed by more than the political situation. We have two sick or injured
pets, one of whom will likely not recover and will have to be euthanized.
Several other challenging events have occurred that, taken singly, would be
manageable, but all together on top of
everything else pushed me off-center.

I’m grateful to the friends who offered sage (and
not-so-sage) comments and thereby helped me to gain perspective on my own
condition. I’m incredibly annoyed that the universe ganged up on me in so many
ways all at once. I’m also appreciative of the experiences I’ve had (good, bad,
insane) over the years that have shown me I am not invincible but that if I am
willing to ask for help (and then take it), I am resilient and resourceful. I
value everyone and everything in my life that helps me to keep my priorities
straight.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

As the days post-election melt into weeks, I observe myself
moving from disbelief to despair to relative calm . . . and now to feeling just
plain annoyed. I am tired of the news being dominated by one horrible
announcement after another, and even more tired of how much attention is paid
to the continuous verbal effluvia flowing from the president-elect. I am tired
of being jerked around emotionally by a bloviating buffoon whose chief delight
seems to be keeping everyone else off-balance. I’m tired of every conversation
about the news beginning with “Guess what outrageous thing president-elect/his
newest appointee/some member of Congress just said?”

It’s one thing to be appalled and frightened by the
statements of politicians now in power. There’s a time to focus on politics and
a time for other parts of my life. It’s quite another to have my thoughts and
days hijacked by irresponsible sensationalism. Not to mention counterfactual
(aka “lies”) distortions. Remember the meme of the person who can’t sleep
because somewhere on the internet, someone is wrong? When my brain gets taken
over by provocative statements, that’s where I am, duped into a cycle of
research and refutation. It’s a gazillion times worse if I give in to a lapse
in judgment and actually reply to one of those folks-who-are-wrong. That never
ends well, no matter how many times I persuade myself into believing otherwise.
Social media do not, by and large, promote genuine discourse, but I get sucked
into trying. Of course, the responses only get me more wound up. That’s my responsibility,
because I know better. But I really would like to be able to glance at the news
or visit a social media site now and again without having to fend off the lure
of the outrageous.

Why is the fruitcake
(and surrogates) dominating the news? I swear, every time he twitches a finger
(especially in proximity to his cellphone), it makes headlines everywhere. On
his part, the tactic of controlling the dialog by throwing out pompously
outrageous lies is nothing new. That’s how he dominated the primary debates. He
got billions of dollars worth of free air time during the general campaign by
poking one hornets’ nest after another. Now he’s doing it on an international
scale. And the news media buy into it every time, battling the hydra that grows
a hundred heads for every one they whack off with facts. We’ve gone from
sucking all the oxygen out of the room to sucking all the oxygen out of the
news sphere and now the world.

I draw the line at sucking all the oxygen out of my head.
Okay, I’m not hopeful that the media will take my suggestion to just ignore any
sentence that includes “Trump” and “Tweet,” nor am I a good enough nerd to
reprogram my computer to do that for me. Nor do I want to shut myself away from
news of any sort. For one thing, I know myself well enough to admit that would
be too anxiety-provoking. I will likely do better when I become better at not
responding to trollishness.

But right now, mostly I’m annoyed to the point of being
downright pissed. I recognize that anger can be friend or enemy. It’s
energizing, which can be exhausting if I spend too much time wound up, or
focusing if I master it. If I give in, I run the risk of descending into petty insults
and ad hominen fallacies. Or I can
use it to point the way to improvements in my own attitudes and behavior. What’s
getting to me, and why? My anger can show me the line between things best
shrugged off and those that call for action.

Monday, December 12, 2016

I have long understood the dangers and seductions of
overwork. I’ve frequently coped with stress by balancing my checkbook or going
over budget figures. Or reading and replying to every single email in my Inbox.
It needn’t be intellectual work: scrubbing bathrooms or reorganizing closets
works just fine. All these things involve attention to detail and (to one degree
or another) restoring a sense of order to an otherwise capricious and chaotic
world. I come by it honestly; when I was growing up, I saw my parents, my
father in particular, plunge into work in response to the enormous problems our
family faced. He and I are by no means unique. We live in a culture that values
work above personal life and outward productivity over inner sensitivity.

“Work” doesn’t have to result in a measurable output.
Anything that demands attention (preferably to the exclusion of all else) will
do. Reading news stories or following social media accomplish the same
objective and have the same result: they put our emotions “on hold.”

As I’ve struggled to detach from the waves of upsetting
news, I have noticed an increased tendency in myself to overwork. It occurs to
me that I reach for those activities in a very similar way other folks might
reach for a glass of liquor or a pack of cigarettes (or things less legal). Or exercising
to exhaustion, or any of the many things we do to excess that keep us from
feeling. There’s a huge difference between the need to take a breather from things that distress us and
using substances or activities in a chronic, ongoing fashion to dampen our
emotional reactions. The problem is that when we do these things, we shut off
not only the uncomfortable feelings (upset, fear, etc.) but other feelings as
well.

The challenge then becomes how to balance the human desire
for “time-out” from the uncertainties and fears of the last few weeks and not
numbing out. In my own experience, the process of balancing begins with
awareness of what tempts me, whether I indulge in it or not. Is it something
that can be good or bad, depending on whether I do it to excess? (Exercise, for
example.) Or something best avoided entirely? (Some forms of risk-taking
behavior, like unprotected sex with strangers.) If it can be both a strength
and a weakness, how do I tell when enough is enough, or what a healthy way to
do this is?

When is it time to run away (to Middle Earth, to a night
club, to answering every single Tweet) and when is it time to come back? Am I
able to extricate myself or do I need external help (an alarm clock, a family
member)?

What about getting creative with escapes? Instead of
binge-watching Stranger Things, how
about taking the dog for a long hike and then watching one episode? A bubble
bath instead of a drink? Calling a trusted friend before clicking on FaceBook?

Finally, a word on being gentle with ourselves. No matter
how resourceful and conscious I am, I’m going to slip. That’s part of human
nature. All these numbing escapes work, and that means not only will we reach
for them, we’ll keep doing them. Will power alone isn’t enough to break us out
of a session that’s gone on way too long (or that fourth drink or second pack
of cigarettes). Some days we’ll do better than others. So it’s important to be
kind to ourselves and others. We’re all coping with a difficult time, sometimes
in healthier ways than others. Beating ourselves up for spending too much time
playing video games won’t stop us the next time we reach for the console: it
will only give us one more thing to escape from. One of the most helpful things
I’ve done is to talk to others about what’s going on with me. If I notice my
eyes and shoulders are screaming at me from too many hours staring at a
computer screen, that’s a great opening for a conversation. I can ask for a
friendly ear, whether I want advice or not. Commiseration and sharing of our
different experiences – our failures as well as our successes – makes me more
likely to try something else.

What escapes appeal to you particularly these days? Are they
healthy (or can they be, if indulged with moderation)? How do you handle
occasions of excess? What helps you to stay in touch with your feelings, or to come
back to them after a break?

Friday, December 9, 2016

Recently a friend voiced her despair about the effect of the
elections and the president-elect’s nominations on the future of the planet. She
said “fear” was too mild a term. Her conversation kept referencing the
Permian extinction event and the destruction of the Earth. I admit I didn’t
respond well. I tend to react to emotion-laden exaggerations of complex issues,
and that reaction overrode the compassionate thing to do, which was to listen
to her feelings. My mind flipped from a conversation about emotions to one
about facts. Needless to say, she was not interested in whether current
projects are for a target global warming of 3.6 degrees or 4 degrees Celsius.

In observing my own mind, I notice what I do when faced with
the notion of looming ecological disaster. I run away to information. In this
case, at least, I find it calming. The facts don’t change, but researching the
issue and reading the considered opinions of people with legitimate scientific
credentials who have studied the matter in depth changes my emotional reaction.
I suspect a portion of this runs along the lines of, “Whew, I don’t have to figure this out all on my own!” I’m only one of
many who are grappling with the problem.

Clearly, this was not my friend’s process. A little bit of
information (the Permian extinction event plunged her into even greater hopelessness.
From this I take away something so simple, its profound truth often escapes me:
we don’t all cope with stressful news in the same way.

I’ve written about paying attention to what makes me feel
calmer or more distraught, and then making mindful choices. Although information
is helpful to me, it can also have an addictive quality. We writers joke about
doing so much research on a novel project, the book never gets written.
Similarly, I can mire myself in one source after another until I go numb. That
numb state is a sure sign I’ve either made a poor choice or gone too far.

Blogging about my process, however, seems not to have a down
side. I suspect this is because such writing puts me in better touch with my
feelings and increases my sensitivity to what is good for me and what is harmful.
It has the added benefit of being of service to others who are wrestling with
the same issues, searching for a way through the morass of upset feelings to a way
forward in what the Buddhists call “right action.”

Reaching out to others, offering my help, sharing my
experience and insight and listening to their own, all these things lift me
from despair.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about Tajji, the
retired seeing eye dog we adopted in 2014. She is a sweet, loving dog, but had
become leash-reactive (not aggressive) to other dogs and sometimes people,
making her unsuitable for service work. We worked with her, enrolling in “reactive
rover” classes that used positive techniques to lower her anxiety and teach us
to help her out in challenging situations. Although she was already an old dog,
she learned new tricks: eye contact with humans, “let’s go!” detachment from stressful
situations, “puppy Zen” and more. She’s made significant progress, and even
though from time to time we are surprised by oncoming dogs on our walks, she
trusts us to get her to a safe place. Consequently, she’s better able to
tolerate the presence of other dogs while on leash. We’ve been able to walk her
by yards with barking, lunging dogs, using our management techniques. Although
we continue practicing, we don’t hold out hope that one day we will be able to
walk her anywhere, with pass-bys with other dogs and other difficult
situations. This is fine with us. Our deal with Tajji is a safe and happy
retirement, and so far that’s the case. She clearly enjoys her walks (and all
the neighborhood dog and wild animal smells); when we get out her harness, she
romps around the living room, tail wagging madly, before dashing for the back
door. Her joy is contagious, especially on frosty mornings when we aren’t all
that enthusiastic about going for a walk. She gets us out the door.

In addition to walking on paved roads, we have found a place
to take Tajji hiking. A nearby retreat center has given us permission to walk
with her on their trails as long as we pick up after her and she is on leash.
For this, we use a retractable lead to give her a greater range to roam. Some
of the paths are fairly smooth and level, but others are definitely hiking
territory, narrow twisty trails that involve changes in elevation and scrambling
over fallen trees. She loves these hikes, and clearly they exercise her brain
as well as her body.

Tajji and Shakir hanging out

Tajji came to us with only rudimentary cat skills. We’re
pretty sure she was exposed to them by her initial foster family, but her blind
owner didn’t have cats. She has a very low prey drive for a German Shepherd
Dog, undoubtedly due to Fidelco’s breeding, selection, and training standards.
We took our time introducing her to our two dog-savvy cats, and she has become
fast friends with the male. They play chase, he rubs up against her, and they
often “hang out” or cuddle together.

In the 2 ½ years we’ve had Tajji, she has become noticeably
more gray in the muzzle. Although she has no major health issues, she limps
occasionally and moves stiffly on cold mornings. She will trot willingly, but
no longer wants to run. The vet prescribed supplements and NSAID arthritis
medicine as needed, and the combination seems to make her more comfortable. But
given her age and how hard she has worked (physically as well as psychologically),
we feel she is entitled to take it easy. We try to take her for a walk or hike every
day to keep her joints and muscles in shape.

The other major physical change we have noticed is a
deterioration in Tajji’s hearing. As far as we can tell, her vision is still
quite good, but she no longer responds instantly to someone knocking at the
door or being called from across the house. Commands spoken in a soft voice must
often be repeated more loudly. Fortunately, we began teaching her hand signals
as soon as she came to live with us, and we have been relying on those more and
on verbal commands less. She seems quite content with the shift.

I’ve heard folks say they want to get a puppy so the dog
will bond with them and won’t come with any bad habits. Tajji came to us with
her own history, training, and personality. She presented us with challenges;
some we have resolved better than others. She isn’t perfect, and neither are
we. But with a little patience, a bit of perspective on what’s really
important, and a huge serving of love, we get to share in the joy of her
twilight years.

Monday, December 5, 2016

A few days ago, John Scalzi wrote
in his blog, Whatever, “…the
Trump administration and its enablers are going to make a mad gallop out of the
gate to do a whole bunch of awful things, to overwhelm you with sheer
volume right at the outset.”

Pretty shocking statement, huh? That was my first reaction.
My second was that Scalzi is very likely correct. All the signs are there…all
the signs that in my panic-stricken moments, I want to ignore so hard they go
away.

My next reaction was to surrender my mind to a gazillion
chattering monkeys, each with her own idea of What Must Be Done Right Now. I
can work myself into a downright tizzy in no time this way. Not only that, I
can paralyze myself with too many alternatives and no way to prioritize them,
jumbling actions I might take with those that are impossible or unsafe (crazy-making)
for me.

Any of this sound familiar?

It’s all based on a false choice. I don’t have to either prepare now for the logically
impending “awful things” or play
ostrich on the river in Egypt. But in order to see other, saner alternatives, I
must first evict the Monkeys of Panic so I can regard the situation calmly.

We’re in for some hard times, and knowing that is a relief.

At first, it seems counter-intuitive to say that
acknowledging we are in for some dark times comes as a relief. The relief is
because instead of nebulous fears running rampant, bursting into exaggeration
and melodrama at every turn, vulnerable to any sort of fact-free hype, I’ve
stepped away from the emotional storm. I’m facing the problem squarely, as my
tai chi teacher used to say. We’re in for some tough times, and likely there
will be a whole slew of bad news in the early months of 2017.

When I’m no longer trying to deny or distort the way things
are (for example, Trump’s cabinet choices and what is known about them, or what
he has said he will or won’t do) I not only become calmer, but better able to
see things I might do, alone or in solidarity with like-minded folks.

This is based on a simple truth that in order to act
effectively, I need to be sane. I can’t be sane if I’m bouncing off the walls
at every headline on social media. I could, of course, disengage entirely from
social media and refuse to read or listen to any sort of news. But I don’t want
to do that. I want to stay engaged, but in a mindful way. I want to know what I’m
up against. Once I stop fighting the reality of what that is, I free myself to
use my energy and time in productive ways. I don’t know exactly what form these
tough times will take, but I don’t need to prepare for every twist and turn. I
can trust my ability to respond appropriately and creatively.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Most of us who drink alcohol have sooner or later imbibed
too much of it. Setting aside the embarrassing and unhealthful effect of such
overindulgence, we then got to experience nature’s own payback: a hangover. Not
only do we feel wretched, we grapple with the fact that we inflicted this
misery on ourselves by our own choices.

Recently I’ve noticed behaviors (other than drinking) that
leave me with a feeling of emotional or spiritual malaise. Not “What was I
drinking?” but “What was I thinking?”

When I take note of the symptoms of “spiritual or emotional”
hangover, I become aware of the situations, topics, or even people that lead me
to abandon my center. While it is undoubtedly theoretically true that no one
can make me feel or behave in ways I
will regret, in practice my will power needs help.

When I am already anxious, distracted, confused, or all the
other things I have been feeling since the election, I’m not at my best. My
judgment can be unreliable. Ditto my self-control. If I put myself in
compromising situations, I am likely to say things I will regret. The regret
stems not so much from external consequences but from how I then feel about
myself. No matter how I value kindness, I can behave in harsh, unkind ways when
I’m in over my head. Over the years I’ve gotten very good at admitting error
and making things right, to the point that I would much rather avoid acting
badly to begin with.

Many of us have remarked how social media is both addictive
and inflammatory. In a fit of irritation or self-righteousness, we zip off a
caustic comment and push ENTER. Then we keep coming back for another dose. It’s
an engraved invitation to insanity! Very few of us are capable of going cold
turkey, and I’m not sure that’s really a solution. When we return to social
media, as most of us will, we will be in exactly the same state in which we
left it. We won’t be any more skillful in detaching ourselves or of passing by
the temptation to be cruel or snarky. We won’t be any closer to finding communities,
people, topics, or environments that help us to feel calmer, kinder, and more
hopeful. We’ll be like alcoholics who stop drinking but never address the
underlying issues or the consequences.

In addition to being careful about situations that may
provoke me to things I’ll regret, I can ask myself what keeps me coming back.
Is it the illusion that news (including gossip) will somehow make me safe? Or popular?
Or smart? What do I get from visiting those sites (maybe there is something
positive)? Is there a grey area in which the positive benefits become negative,
and if so, how can I better discern it?

What situations leave me with heart lifted and spirits
mended? Who or what gives me hope? In what settings do I act my best? Who brings
out the qualities in me that I value? How do I seek out such encounters?

Monday, November 28, 2016

Like many others, I did not sleep well on election night or
the following nights. Shock and dismay had hijacked my mind. I felt as if I had
been catapulted into a very dark Twilight
Zone episode. My thoughts went hither and yon, partly batted about by a
political racket, partly going from shiny/horror to next shiny/horror.

In my recovery from PTSD, I have learned to be protective of
my sleep and my inner balance. I quickly detected warning signs and realized
that I had to put my own mental and physical health first. Without that
foundation, I wasn’t going to be able to make any sense or take effective
action. So I set about using my “tool box” to reduce my anxiety. Besides sleep
management and calming techniques, I reached out to my family and close
friends. I tried as best I could to keep the focus on myself and my feelings,
not politics. I took notice of which conversations made me feel better and
which did not.

I felt better about myself when there was something I could
do for the person close to me. Perhaps this was because I felt less powerless,
but I believe it was because I felt more connected. Research suggests human
beings are hard-wired to feel pleasure from helping others. Whether or not this
is true, feeling valued and needed is a good thing.

So the first “movement” of my journey was to take care of
myself and then to reach out to those around me.

Once I was feeling a bit more settled, I started to look
around for other actions I might take. This required a great deal of filtering
of news and social media. News sources inundated me with blow after terrible
blow as events (and nominations or appointments) unfolded. I realized I could
spend 100 hours a day on the various calls to action, and that not all of them
were appropriate for me. Some would put me right back in the zone of risking my
mental health.

How then are we to know how to proceed and what actions will
not damage us?

We listen for that sense of rightness, no matter how
frightening the prospect. I learned a great deal about this process from
hanging out with Quakers. They talk about “discernment” and “leadings of the
Spirit.” It’s one of the things that makes Quaker action different from other
activism. One is led to take action by the promptings of the inner light, which
means that arguments for or against make little difference. This made Quaker
abolitionists (for example) tenacious in their cause.

What am I led to do? How will I know when that happens?

I’m still listening, and while I do that, I pay attention to
small things that I feel able to do. They may not qualify as “Spirit-led,” but
they seem possible. Then I notice how I feel. As an example, I wrote a letter
of support to the nearest mosque; I felt lighter and more hopeful after I had
mailed it. On the other hand, I felt low and discouraged after speaking with
certain people I had otherwise reason to trust. I’m not likely to try that
again.

I do not know how or even if this process of trial and
reflection, slowly feeling my way, will lead to action on a state or national
level. I’m definitely not going to fly across the country to attend a march in
Washington D.C. or New York City. Because I’ve felt energized by writing
letters, I am more likely to do that again. I’m considering volunteering in
person at Planned Parenthood (where I volunteered when I was in grad school,
before Roe v. Wade) or the ACLU, but do not yet see a clear path.

Meanwhile, I continue to practice reaching out, and find
that the circle keeps getting bigger. By listening compassionately and seeking
out safe places to share my own fears, I join a community of light. By sharing
suggestions of actions, I become aware of those I might be willing to take, or
inspire others to take actions I am not comfortable with. Who knows? Maybe
knowing someone who is brave enough (or skilled enough) to do something will
show me the way. Or perhaps the way will open in community once I see I do not
have to act alone.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Any report I make of OryCon (in Portland OR, on or near
Veterans Day weekend) must be seen in highly personal context. For me, it’s
never been just another convention, but part of other aspects of my life. I
used to attend OryCon regularly. I’d gone to college and then graduate school
in Portland and retained a fondness for the city. My best friend from college
still lived there, and I’d stayed in close touch with her. So attending OryCon also
meant a visit, usually after the con when decompression with long-time
friendship, and maybe a long trail ride, were especially welcome. These visits
became even more important when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I made a
number of trips to Portland to help her and her family through the rounds of chemo
that led to a series of remissions. In the nearly five years that followed, our
OryCon visits became even more precious. In fall 2013, she entered hospice, and
again I was present to do whatever was necessary to support her and her family
in that transition. She died in October, when the weather had already turned
chill and overcast with the approach of winter. That year, attending OryCon was
out of the question, nor could I bring myself to consider returning to Portland
for some time. This year, however, I ventured north with my older daughter to a
reunion at our alma mater, Reed College. That shifted my thinking enough so
that when I received an invitation to be a guest panelist at OryCon, I happily accepted.
Of course, the first thing to arrange was a visit with my friend’s surviving
family. Two visits, actually; one before and one after the con. A family
dinner, complete with home made lasagna (vegetarian and vegan versions) marked
an auspicious welcome back to Portland.

I won’t go into a recitation of all things travel and hotel.
Needless to say, my usual disorientation upon encountering a new venue kicked
into high gear, fueled by the vertical arrangement of the hotel (events were on
4 different floors, or was it 5 plus the green room on the 16th floor?)
The OryConOps folks were as warm and welcoming as ever. I had a splendid roomie
in Irene Radford, although we were both a bit too old to stay up all night
talking.

My panels began Saturday morning with the topic “Fantasy vs.
Science Fiction,” in which panelists and audience attempted to discern why
anyone would think one better than the other when we all love them both. Conventional
wisdom suggests that in science fiction, the laws of physics must be observed
(with the notable exceptions of psi powers and faster-than-light travel);
whereas in fantasy, magic introduces a fundamentally different system. The
level of technology of the setting tends to put low-tech, medieval worlds into the
fantasy camp and modern, futuristic, or space settings into science fiction. I
threw out the idea that readers expect different experiences (fantasy –
emotional, science fiction – intellectual, idea-driven) from the two genres,
hoping it would provoke a juicy discussion. We all agreed that with the
popularity of cross-overs, none of these distinctions holds true any longer.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Recently I wrote about “Election Anxiety Disorder,”
characterized by – among other things – obsessively checking news sources,
social media, polling results, election prediction sites, and the like. Our
simian brains seem to be hardwired to zoom in on changes, even small ones, in
our environments. Fast-changing visual media like news programs and
advertisements rely on this response to attract and hold our attention. In the
same way our ancestors might have scanned the horizon for the movement of herds
of prey animals or signs of a stalking predator, we scan our information
horizon for signs of threat (or reassurance). So it can be difficult to tear
ourselves away from that screen or newspaper, particularly when our lives are
in so many other ways attached to the flow of information. For many of us, this
constant reactivation and connection with sources of perceived threat our
anxiety. However, some people use information as a way of managing their
anxiety.

There are many styles of dealing with anxiety, from purely
physical to purely intellectual, with pharmaceutical – legal or otherwise –
thrown in there, too. I should modify that statement to say these are starting
points. Deep, slow breathing and concomitant decreases in blood pressure, heart
rate, adrenaline secretion, etc., also affects our thoughts. Talking ourselves
through a stressful situation or changing how we think about ourselves or the
problems we face also reduces the physiological symptoms of anxiety. No matter
where we begin, we end up at the same place.

As I mentioned above, one way to manage anxiety is through
information. If we can find out more about something that worries us, often it
becomes less threatening. (Not always, of course.) Our fears can distort
perceptions and amplify dangers, but information acts as an antidote. It also
suggests logical, effective actions to deal with the problem, things that are
more likely to be successful than just flying off the handle. Our minds
reassure us of our ability to cope with the situation, and the resulting calm
further increases our likelihood of success.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

This blog series began when I received a letter from a long-time fan. It spoke deeply to me, and

rather than answer it alone, I asked some of my writer friends to join in a
series of round table blogs on the issues raised. Below is another heart-felt letter from another writer with her own struggles.

I've been trying to reconnect with
writing friends after a hiatus from the creative life. I've spent the
past year or so taking care of my mom and working to pay the bills. Mom
passed away in October.

When your last parent passes away,
it changes you in many ways. That foundation you always relied on -- even
as an adult -- is gone for good. Whether you're ready or not, you are
truly on your own in the world and must somehow carry on without their
nurturing presence. One of the most difficult aspects of my mother's
final days was the fact that she had so many regrets about life. She once
had goals and dreams, but left them behind out of fear and a belief that these
dreams were just not possible.

I'm 54 years old. More than
half of my life is over. Writing has been a dream/goal of mine since
childhood. My mom was the only one who believed in me. I don't want to
leave this world regretting the fact that I never pursued this dream to the
fullest. To be honest, my writing "career" never took off. I
let fear, doubt and the negativity of others keep me from my dreams. I
want so much to be brave, to take risks with my creative life. I truly wish for
a group of fellow writers who are willing to give me the encouragement and
support I need to write with my heart and soul, to grow as a writer and a human
being. And I want to be a support for others as well.

How do I get back into the writing
life after leaving it on the back burner for so long?

Denise B. Tanaka: Do I still have what it takes?

Once I heard an anecdote about someone tearing down a spider's web every day. The spider would come back to the same spot to recreate the web, and the person tore it down again and again. After a while, the spider rebuilt the web less perfectly, with gaps and irregularities, until finally the spider stopped rebuilding the web altogether.

As a writer, I have put my manuscripts through the meat grinder of critique groups and workshops at conventions. For a long time, I welcomed harsh comments because I believed it was necessary to develop a thick skin. I used to invite lengthy brainstorming sessions and I boldly gutted my manuscripts in rewrites. I endured the pounding because I assumed it would make my writing better.

For years, I was starry-eyed optimistic about getting published. Surely all the anguish of workshops and critique groups would pay off, right? I studied all the advice of how to write sparkling query letters. Before there were email submissions, I was a frequent visitor at the post office. And I stacked up piles of rejections. Small press. Big 5 houses. You name it, I've been rejected by it.

The meritocracy myth consumed me. I wrongly believed that if my writing was “good” that a publisher would snatch it up from the slush pile. I wrongly believed that all these rejection slips meant that my writing was “bad” or that I had no talent, that I did not deserve to be one of the chosen few. Disheartened but not entirely discouraged, I kept writing more and more manuscripts in my original universe. I told myself that if one book didn't sell surely another character's adventure could. I kept workshopping and writing and rewriting in a mad frenzy.

Monday, October 31, 2016

1492: A Novel of
Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Inquisition, and a World at the Turning Point,
by Newton Frohlich (Blue Bird Press, October 2016) This novelization of
the events leading up to the “discovery” of the Americas was originally
published in 1990. Alas, the years have not worn gracefully on the work. From
the beginning, I found the depiction of the Muslim world stereotyped. Works
such as Amin Maalouf’s The Crusades Through Arab Eyes (1984) and Carole Hillenbrand’s The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives (2006)
portray another picture. Even setting aside the preconceptions of nearly two
decades ago, I found the portrayals of the various historical personages
emotionally distant. To anyone unfamiliar with the time period, the connections
between the Inquisition, the political ambitions of Queen Isabella, and the
increasingly desperate need of the Jews for a safe haven, will provide thoughtful
insights. However, it pales compared to the lively, vivid Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean, by Edward Kritzler (2008).

Friday, October 28, 2016

Like just about everyone I know, I have been feeling anxious about this election. I say "just about" because there might be some acquaintance who is blissfully uncaring about the issues and candidates. So for the rest of us, this season has turned in to a series of conversations that always end up on the topic, augmented by repeated and frequent checking on news (and polls and election predictions), and, most of all, anxiety about what might happen if the other candidate wins. I've dubbed this toxic combination of worry and hypervigilance "Election Anxiety Disorder." (Although Electoral Anxiety Syndrome works, too.)

This is the most fear-driven campaign I can remember, and the first presidential election I remember was Eisenhower versus Stevenson, so that's quite a few. Each side holds up emotionally manipulative predictions of doom, gloom, global thermonuclear destruction, moral deterioration, and general Bad Things Happening as a way of galvanizing their followers into action and swaying the opinions of those very few remaining undecided voters. And it's happening on both sides, although the specific details of the threats are different.

Chronic anxiety takes its toll in physical as well as psychological unwellness. Sleep, work, relationships, all aspects of our lives can be impacted. We may lose or gain weight, depending on which we do not need to do. We spend more and more time glued to the television or computer. Eyestrain, backaches, headaches, stomach pain, obsessive thoughts, irritability...the list goes on of the ways our bodies and minds break down under stress. Recognizing what's going on is the first step towards better managing this stress.

Laughing at it -- and ourselves -- including giving the whole mess a silly name, goes a long way.

From the beginning, I was captivated
by this tale of an 1888 America that never freed itself from Britain, a world
ruled by aristocratic “magister” magic-users, Masked Bandits and airships, and
an intrepid heroine. With the focus on plot and character, perfect for young
adult audiences, the world-building is handled with subtlety. Verity Newton arrives in New York City to take up a position as a governess, only to
become entangled with the Rebel Mechanics, a fellowship of engineers committed
to freeing themselves from the tyranny of the magisters through the creation of
steam engine powered devices that anyone can operate, regardless of magical
talent. (A particular charming twist was the role of the novel Jane Eyre, and its reflections on the role of governesses!) I hope this will be the beginning of a series of Verity’s adventures and the eventual liberation of the American colonies. Fans of Gail Carriger will particularly enjoy this book.

Monday, October 24, 2016

A year after the death of Arthur, his
kingdom lies under the brutal yoke of a Viking invader. Guinevere languishes in
a convent, while setting up a secret spy network to keep tabs on the rest of
the kingdom. Sir Percival, who had been dispatched to the Holy Land in search
of the Grail, returns along with his Moorish companion. Morgana schemes to at
last assassinate Merlin, while playing a dangerous game of alliance with the
Vikings.

Although smoothly written, this sequel to the well-known story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table came across as flat and derivative. None of these characters struck me as remarkably original; they were
all pretty much what I expected, although the many historical inaccuracies gave
the narrative a Hollywood flavor (for example, Morgana is supposed to be a
Roman assassin, but neither speaks nor behaves in a Roman fashion). The Moor,
as charming as he is, reads as if he has just stepped out of Kevin Costner’s “Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves,” and that character was copied from the Saracen in the
A & E “Robin of Sherwood” series.

Readers hungry for everything Arthurian
may enjoy this book, but anyone looking for a fresh take on the legends will
likely be as disappointed as I was.

Friday, October 21, 2016

"Moving ahead, this is a good time to talk about where to connect with other writers, how to use social media, the benefits/drawbacks of face-to-face, what to look for in a group, workshops -- which ones, pitfalls, etc. And how to use technology like the internet and digital publishing (and why you shouldn't). Any of these spark ideas?"

Barb Caffrey: Today
I'd like to talk about social media. I've known some writers who've made great
strides in their readerships, using it -- but what I use it for, mostly, is to
get to know other fans and writers. I've been able to gain encouragement,
support, and appreciation through the use of Twitter and Facebook (I don't use
Instagram or Pinterest, but I've heard both of those also are quite useful;
find your own platform, and use it).

Most of the writers I know on Facebook, for example, talk
about their works-in-progress, or sometimes about the struggles they're having
with their works-in-progress. This lets me know that I'm not alone, and gives
me the option to talk to them, see what they're doing and how they're doing it,
and give them the support they've given me...an unending circle, if you will.

While I stand behind my previous recommendation of the Forward
Motion Writers Group (fmwriters.com), I urge you to try the various social
media platforms, and see if one -- or more -- may work for you.

Now, as far as how to find other writers locally, in
whatever area you live in? I know where I live -- Racine, Wisconsin -- we have
a local writers' group that meets every Thursday night in various places. I've
only been there once or twice, but I appreciate knowing this group exists; I
get their e-mails, and have written back and forth a few times to the various
group organizers. (This group, by the way, is absolutely, positively free. Just
like Forward Motion is online, except with real-time communication.)

There are a few other ways, mind. If you live near a
university (or college), you might see if there's a group meeting there. Or
there may be writers doing events at a local book store; going there to talk
with the writer (or writers) in question may help you meet someone with similar
interests, and perhaps lead to a writerly friendship down the line.

But the main thing to know is this: We all start off as
neophytes. And the only way to get any better is to keep trying, keep writing,
keep creating, and dare to be the creative person you were born to be.

I hope that helps.

Barb Caffrey has written three novels,
An Elfy On The Loose (2014), A
Little Elfy in Big Trouble (2015), and Changing
Faces (forthcoming), and is the co-writer
of the Adventures of Joey Maverick
series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey) Previous stories and poems have
appeared in Stars Of Darkover, First Contact Café, How Beer Saved The
World, Bearing North, and Bedlam's
Edge (with Michael B. Caffrey).

Doranna Durgin: I admit, the scope of this question was a little daunting. How many of us have really figured out the answer to all these questions on our own? Not me!

But I have an approach to figuring them out, which is maybe the next best thing.

Actually, it’s going to sound too simple: Figure out where you want to go. Figure out what you need to get there. Choose to do those things.

Ha ha ha ha!

Okay, so, for instance: there are many social networking platforms. What do you want yours to accomplish? How many platforms are you comfortable juggling? What are you comfortable with in terms of user experience and investment? With which demographic do you want to connect? What devices do you have on hand and what do they do best?

Ask yourself ALL the questions! You may still have to do some eenie-meenie, but questions should winnow things out so it’s not all just one big overwhelming mass.

Also, there are many opportunities for connecting with others of a writerly bent. Do you want something local, or online? What are your goals for connecting—are they social, or are they educational? Can they be met by writers of any experience level, or only those well along their career path? Can they be met by gathering as a reader, with readers?

What are the downsides to any of those choices?

The thing is, sometimes we don’t know.

Social media platforms change. The software around engaging with them changes.

Writers’ groups wax and wane with the participants’ real life obligations and their evolving writing paths. The value of our choices (to us) changes. This can be hard to acknowledge once one has invested time, energy, and emotion into a situation—I for one am particularly guilty of lingering when I should move on—but it’s important to perceive when a thing that should be supporting your writing is actually taking from it.

So Part Two of the simple approach is this: Maintain reality checks to adjust outreach choices as your experience grows.

Our initial choices don’t need to be perfect—there’s no way that all of them are, no matter how thoughtfully we proceed, so the need to adjust a decision isn’t a fail. In fact, it might well be a nice indication of progress and growth. Cool!

So Part Three of the simple approach is a reminder that decisions made/actions taken count as moving forward even when they aren’t perfect. Endless sit and spin…well, that’s just sitting and spinning.

So figure out your personal goals—your goals, not what everyone says should be your goals or what they’ve all chosen as goals--and go for what meets them. And then pat yourself on the back.

(Also, chocolate.)

Doranna Durgin is an award-winning (Compton Crook--best first SF/F/H of the year) whose quirky spirit has led to an extensive and eclectic publishing journey across genres, across publishers, and across publishing lines. Beyond that, she hangs around outside her Southwest mountain home with horse and highly accomplished competition dogs. She doesn't believe in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power. For good or bad has yet to be decided...

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Ennara and the Book of Shadows (Ennara, #2) by Angela
Shelley, Patchwork

Press, October 2014

Middle grade fiction stands apart from its younger and older
(Young Adult) cousins in ways that go beyond the simple division by ages. Kids
this age are just beginning to spread their wings, assert their independence
and individuality, and test their limits. Friends help them define themselves
and try out new behaviors and identities, although not always in ways their
parents approve. At the same time, they’re not ready to plunge into the full-blown
angst, sex, blood, and darkness (although certainly rock/n/roll) of stories for
older readers. They often prefer adults to hang around somewhere, just not too
close by; they tread the line between wanting to go off entirely on their own
and needing someone stronger and wiser to lend a hand when they get in over
their heads. In other words, they’re highly capable children. Some will happily
devour literature for teens and adults, but others want the same
adventurousness, but featuring kids closer to their own age.

With this perspective in mind, I embarked upon a series of
adventures with young Ennara and her friends. The setting included many
familiar elements: low-technology villages, magic, prophecies, pirates, “shadowspawn,”
and druids. In an adult fantasy, these might feel generic and derivative, a
hodge-podge of time-worn tropes, but in Angela Shelley’s hands, they evoke a
sense of familiarity. Pre-teen readers aren’t after a startlingly original
world with sophisticated culture and so forth; they want a good story with characters they can relate
to. So even details that caused me-the-adult to roll my eyes were strangely
congruent and certainly didn’t cause me to stop reading (although I admit,
finding a professor in a plaid blazer in the middle of a fantasy tale gave me a
giggle). I don’t think the intended readers will notice, for instance, that
druids have been done to death in adult fantasy; instead, they’ll recognize the
name, just exotic enough to be not-here-and-now, but not so alien as to require
chapters of backstory and explanation.

So the above-mentioned shadowspawn appear in Ennara’s village,
thereby initiating a quest for our young heroine. Ennara is magically gifted,
of course, although not educated in its use. She has a mentor, a wise old
magician (who incidentally is in love with her potion-making aunt, which made
me smile), a family, who remain behind but send their love and support, and a
best friend. As the adventure unfolds, she picks up a new friend (and a huge
marine cat named Smoos who loves to swim), loses the mentor partway through (although
he’s still alive and they wrap him up to bring him along with them). Ennara’s
gifts and self-confidence grow as she learns from her adventures, so there are
no sudden bursts of power but a careful, step-wise mastery and growing
self-knowledge, which is, after all, what the pre-teen years are about.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Toward a Secret Sky
by Heather Maclean (Blink, April 2017) is a YA novel of the “Twilight with
Angels and Demons” sort. Our teen orphan heroine finds herself shipped off to
grandparents in Scotland where she explores scenery, makes friends, and
encounters the devastatingly gorgeous angel assigned the guard her.

Even though
she is told in no uncertain terms of the dire consequences of human-angel love
affairs, she plunges into one obsessive daydream after another about him, refuses to heed
his warnings to leave him alone, and in general behaves like an infatuated
adolescent incapable of making rational decisions. To be sure, she has
personality and strengths, not the least of which are keen mental abilities and
a generous heart, and the story moves along nicely, with enough twists to keep
the reader engaged. Logic bobbles (like why would a handsome, rich incubus need
a date-rape drug when looks and money alone would get him as much sex as he
wants?) flawed an otherwise enjoyable flow of prose, and the “the war [with
demons] is just beginning” epilog felt tacked-on.

These shortcomings may pale
in comparison to the overall enjoyability of the story, particularly for a
young adult reader but a more critical reader may find them annoying.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Effie Seiberg: Depending on what kind of writing you're
doing, and where you are geographically,

there are a number of ways to find
kindred spirits.

Conventions: Whether conventions or conferences, I found
these to be an invaluable resource for meeting people. (In fact, that's how I
met Deborah!) At one panel about plotting techniques, one person from the
audience asked how one might go about finding a critique group. One of the
panelists said to look around the audience - the people going to the same
panels you are probably have the same needs. After the panel was over I got
together with two other people from the audience and formed my first crit
group. That was three years ago, and I'm still swapping stories with one of
them.

Classes and workshops: If there are classes in your area,
that's another way to get an insta-community. You can also apply to a variety
of workshops that are available. Or, many writers offer online classes with a
video component, either through YouTube or Google Hangouts. A digital class
community still counts!

Industry groups: If you're publishing science fiction,
fantasy, or horror, trade groups like SFWA (the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of
America, sort of the national guild, with online forums for discussion) and
community groups like Codex (an online community full of support and advice)
are great ways to meet people. If you're interested in pure horror, there's
also HWA (the Horror Writers of America.) For all, you need to qualify to join.

If you're publishing romance, the industry group RWA
(Romance Writers of America) is massive and allows anyone to join, and has
local events in many places.

Other sub-genres have their own groups. Just look online!

Local meet-ups: Meetup.com is a great way to find local
writing meet-ups. My area has a number of "Shut up and Write" meet-ups,
and guess what happens there.

Online critique forums: You can trade work with other
writers on groups like Critique Circle, Critters, and more.

I hope one or more of these options work for you! I find my
writing support groups (yes, I have several!) to be incredibly helpful, both in
improving my writing and in improving my state of mind. Good luck, and you can
do it!

Effie Seiberg is a
fantasy and science fiction writer. Her stories can be found in the "Women
Destroy Science Fiction!"
special edition of Lightspeed Magazine, Galaxy's Edge, Analog,
Fireside Fiction, and PodCastle, amongst others. She is a graduate of
Taos Toolbox 2013, a member of SFWA and Codex, and a reader at Tor.com.

Barb Caffrey: Here's one more additional resource that
helped me, back in the day...it's Forward Motion Writer's Group (or
fmwriters.com, I think -- might be .org). Lazette Gifford runs the site now,
but it was started by Holly Lisle. It's a group by writers, for writers, and
they talk about all sorts of writerly-related things, including things that get
in the way of writing.

Barb Caffrey has written three novels,
An Elfy On The Loose (2014), A
Little Elfy in Big Trouble (2015), and Changing
Faces (forthcoming), and is the co-writer
of the Adventures of Joey Maverick
series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey) Previous stories and poems have
appeared in Stars Of Darkover, First Contact Café, How Beer Saved The World,
Bearing North, and Bedlam's Edge (with Michael B. Caffrey).

Thursday, October 13, 2016

reminded me of the work of Tess
Gerritsen and the “Alex Delaware” novels of Jonathan Kellerman. Yet Buist’s
heroine is very much her own person, an Australian motorcycle-riding forensic psychiatrist
who specializes in women who have killed their own children.

With dramatic
tension that never lets up, the story follows Natalie King through cases past
and present, with danger never far behind. But who is stalking her? The attentive
husband of an inmate who may or may not have multiple personality disorder? The
boyfriend of one of her clients, now in prison – and whose present wife has just been accused of murdering their
baby? The charming attorney with whom she’s shared a fling? With the lives of
other children at stake, Natalie races to solve the mystery before it’s too
late.

One of the things I liked best about the book was the understanding that
no professional can deal with material this upsetting without a support system
of her own. Plus it’s really cool to have a strong woman hero who is also
really smart!

From the book: Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental
health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and
research experience in perinatal psychiatry, working on cases of abuse,
kidnapping, infanticide, and murder.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Two recurring
motifs in fantasy literature, both historical and contemporary, are the
conquest of death and the book of secrets. The search for immortality — and its
advantages and drawbacks — ranges from a fascination with immortal creatures (vampires,
gods, Tolkien’s elves) to The Fountain of Youth and the cure for all bodily
ills. The book or scroll or other text takes as many forms, from ancient books
of magic, grimoires, H. P. Lovecraft’s Necromonicon, and other sorts of
occult texts.

The Apothecary’s
Curse by Barbara Bennett (Pyr, October 2016) reads a bit like a Dan
Brown thriller. Immortality (or rather, the ability to heal from almost any
disease or injury) has been achieved, thanks to an ancient text, a compendium
of remedies based on various herbs and chemicals, derived from knowledge
millennia before its time and rooted in a Celtic-like myth. The ingredients and
procedures must be followed with scientific accuracy, and any deviation is
likely to cause disastrous results. In this story, the two viewpoint characters
— one a 17th Century apothecary, the other a physician from almost two
centuries later — have achieved immortality and found it to be a curse. The
book, however, has been lost, along with any hope of restoring them to normal
human lives. In every era, they must deal with those who seek this knowledge
for their own nefarious purposes.

I loved the premise that an ancient text,
written is such a way that only an adept can unravel its secrets, holds a
treasure trove of scientific lore equal to what contemporary medicine possesses. The characters appealed to me, especially the apothecary struggling with PTSD after being tortured for decades in a madhouse. The one misstep came near the end with a sudden detour into conventional fantasy and divine intervention that was not only unnecessary but for me detracted from the “ancient science” theme. Still, the book was an enjoyable read, a nice combination of two time-honored themes with a medical thriller twist.

The Fall of the House
of Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard (St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Dunne
Books, Sept. 2016) presented a delightful read from the first page, with its
quirky humor and even quirkier characters. This is not the first adventure of
Johannes Cabal, necromancer and social misfit, and his debonair vampire
brother, Horst, but it’s a dandy place to jump in. Johannes and Horst are off
on a quest across virtual dimensions, one that involves both immortality that That Special Occult Book. On their way, they're accompanied by assorted comrades — living,
dead, and demonic. My favorite was the latter, a gigantic half-woman,
half-spider who wears an angora sweater and is as enthusiastic about sex as she
is about murder. When introduced to Johannes's (human) woman detective companion, someone he cannot bring himself to admit his feelings for, the first thing our spider-demon asks is, "Is she your lover?" No, he sputters, of course not. "But here is Horst, my brother." "Oh," says the spider. "Is he your lover?"

You've got to love a creature who thinks that way.

The story is a witty, endlessly entertaining, fast-moving romp
through Hell and London (via a few other places) that left me cheering and
wanting more. I have no doubt that the House of Cabal shall rise again!

Friday, October 7, 2016

Con-Volution is a medium sized (700 ish members) convention
in the Bay Area. I first attended a

couple of years ago and was pleased to be
invited to return. This year’s theme was “Monsters,” so many of the panels and
other events centered around Things That Go Bump in the Night, creepy-crawlies,
and the like, a fitting greeting to October.

I arrived in time to attend part of “An Aviary of Beasties,”
moderated by Juliette Wade and held in the parlor of a hotel suite, making it
cozy and very difficult to find. Nevertheless, the small space was filled, and
as I walked in, Juliette was discussing the difference between the wings of a
bat and a pterodactyl. Panelists shared myths of flying creatures from many
cultures. In wandered one of the residents-in-costume, wearing a marvelous kirin head, whose timing made a perfect
introduction to tales about that creature.

My first panel was “Authors: Going to that Dark Place,” with
horror author Fred Wiehe, Margaret McGaffey Fisk, Loren Rhoads, and Guest of
Honor Ann Bishop. We approached the relationship between authors and “that dark
place” from two directions. One involved delving into our own nightmares and
using them to fuel our stories, and the stories then become cathartic or
therapeutic in lessening the hold those catastrophes have over our lives and
(hopefully) those of our readers. I was reminded of Octavia Butler saying she
took her worst night mares and put them down on paper. This is also what I did
in a number of stories (“Rite of Vengeance,” “Beneath the Skin,” “Crooked Corn”)
following the murder of my mother, and also used for my hero’s journey in The Seven Petaled Shield. Others take another approach, which is to
start with the story and find the darkness within ourselves to give it depth
and power. Ann Bishop observed that horror stories are like a journey through a
spooky forest with various companions that may survive or not, but we have
faith that someone will make it
through. “There is no light without darkness,” Fred Wiehe pointed out. Does the
dark keep us sane?

For “How Cthulu Became Cuddly,” I was joined by Artist Guest
of Honor Lee Moyer, Laurel Anne Hill, and Jennifer Carson.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

I just turned in the final copy for Masques of Darkover, which I edited. Dave Smeds, who did the covers for Stars of Darkover, Gifts of Darkover, and Realms of Darkover, is working on the cover art and design. It'll be released in May 2017. Table of Contents is below--it's such a treat!

Monday, October 3, 2016

Barnacles can tell a whale of a tale. Chemical clues inside barnacles that hitched rides on baleen whales millions of years ago could divulge ancient whale migration routes, new research suggests.

While Mercury has no plate tectonics in the terrestrial sense, crustal shrinking still qualifies as tectonic activity. It could even trigger Mercury-quakes.

New Ostrich-Mimic Dinosaur Species Identified “We histologically thin-sectioned the femur of Rativates evadens to analyze its growth and determined it was at least eight years old and nearly adult-sized at the time of death,” said Thomas Cullen, from the University of Toronto. .... “This suggests that there are at least two differently-sized, but closely-related dinosaur species that lived together on the ancient landscape, similar to what we see today in the closely related predators like foxes, coyotes and wolves,” said Dr. Claudia Schröder-Adams, of Carleton University.

On hearing voices: Psychics are much more likely to perceive the voices as positive or helpful and as experiences that can be controlled, according to a new study published Sept. 28 in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin. "We have known for some time that people in the general population can have the experience of hearing voices—sometimes frequently—without the need for psychiatric intervention," said Albert Powers, a psychiatry fellow [at Yale] and lead author of the study.

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